Is the Qu'ran a book of love or hate?

[ronki23]

I don't understand why both people for and against Islam tell me to read the Qu'ran.

Either I will find verses talking about: Muhammad marrying a 6 year old, Muhammed lying down with dead bodies, killing and pillaging non-Abrahamics, and not considering the Jews as human beings even though they're fellow Abrahamics.

Or I will read: how fighting should only be done in self defence, how women's rights have improved, how slavery was abolished, how you must give to charity, how you must feed others irrespective of religion.

 

[Quintessence]

I don't understand why both people for and against Islam tell me to read the Qu'ran.

In what context?

If you want to do proper research into a topic, you have to consult primary sources. When it comes to studying religions that have a sacred text, this necessarily means reading that sacred text. Since most of these texts are somewhat impenetrable to modern readers, it's good to couple this with commentaries from recognized authorities to help you make sense of it or point out known translation issues. I would couch that within an understanding of how that text is used in the living traditions of the religion. A sacred text isn't the be-all and end-all of the religions that have them after all, but it's a necessary component of proper study.

 

[Sakeenah]

I don't understand why both people for and against Islam tell me to read the Qu'ran.

Either I will find verses talking about: Muhammad marrying a 6 year old, Muhammed lying down with dead bodies, killing and pillaging non-Abrahamics, and not considering the Jews as human beings even though they're fellow Abrahamics.

Or I will read: how fighting should only be done in self defence, how women's rights have improved, how slavery was abolished, how you must give to charity, how you must feed others irrespective of religion.

There are people who talk about how evil the Quran is based on a few verses that they've read on an anti-Islam website or based on their own interpretation. I always tell people to read the Quran and an exegesis so that you understand the context of the verses. There are verses that are clear and need no explanation,but there are verses that need you to understand the context.
The Quran is an inspiration,mercy and guide to me so I really believe it also depends on how you approach it , and what your intentions are.

 

[Nakosis]

I don't understand why both people for and against Islam tell me to read the Qu'ran.

Either I will find verses talking about: Muhammad marrying a 6 year old, Muhammed lying down with dead bodies, killing and pillaging non-Abrahamics, and not considering the Jews as human beings even though they're fellow Abrahamics.

Or I will read: how fighting should only be done in self defence, how women's rights have improved, how slavery was abolished, how you must give to charity, how you must feed others irrespective of religion.

You supply the meaning to the words so in some sense, what it is, is up to you.

 

[joe1776]

There are 77,934 words in the Quran that were written long ago.
If you want to argue that it is a hate-filled book, use these two approaches:

1. Cherry-pick a short-list of quotations from it that make it look really bad and make a big deal of it;

2. Take vague quotations and give them the worst possible interpretation.

If you prefer to argue that it is a book of love, use the same two techniques but substitute love for hate.

By the way, you can do the same thing with the Bible which has more than 700,000 words.

 

[Jeremiah Ames]

I have not read the Quran.

But when I see the fruit of more than a billion people who follow it, I could only conclude that it is a book of love.

The hate emanating from a tiny minority of Muslims is obviously a misrepresentation of the scriptures.

imo

 

[LuisDantas]

Is the Qu'ran a book of love or hate?

I don't usually like reduction to dualisms. The Qur'an is however mainly a book about monotheism run amok, petrifying and corrupting tribal ethics of the "us vs them" variety.

It is nearly not so much a book about love or even about hate as it is a book about fear and social pressure. And God. Boy, is it ever about God.

I don't understand why both people for and against Islam tell me to read the Qu'ran.

Critics of Islaam such as yours truly will want to get support from the source, which is after all both very damning and as canonical as it gets according to Muslims themselves.

Meanwhile, hopefuls for the validity of Islaam will do likewise, because they deal with a very different emphasis and, IMO, a not inconsiderable amount of denial and self-delusion. Islaam is built as a function of strict monotheism, and it shows.

Either I will find verses talking about: Muhammad marrying a 6 year old, Muhammed lying down with dead bodies, killing and pillaging non-Abrahamics, and not considering the Jews as human beings even though they're fellow Abrahamics.

Or I will read: how fighting should only be done in self defence, how women's rights have improved, how slavery was abolished, how you must give to charity, how you must feed others irrespective of religion.

There is human nature (and tribal nature) for you, with a considerable helping of unchecked monotheism for flavor.

 

[Shaul]

One thing to remember about the Quran is that it is arranged thematically or topically. I’ve read most of it, in translation, of course. I don’t hold it to be scripture. There is a mixture of truth and untruth in it, IMHO. Muslims seem to think it is something. Ok for them. Who are outsiders to judge? Let them have their Quran. But we are permitted to observe the fruits of what they produce. We can judge the fruit but never the fruit pickers.

 

[Hockeycowboy]

There are people who talk about how evil the Quran is based on a few verses that they've read on an anti-Islam website or based on their own interpretation. I always tell people to read the Quran and an exegesis so that you understand the context of the verses. There are verses that are clear and need no explanation,but there are verses that need you to understand the context.
The Quran is an inspiration,mercy and guide to me so I really believe it also depends on how you approach it , and what your intentions are.

Nice reply!
The same thoughts could be applied to the Bible....even more so, IMO. Even ‘mainstream’ exegesis from different scholars conflict.

Question: do you know how many different sects of Islam there are? In Christendom, there are over 33,000!
I think this is very revealing!

Take care, my cousin.

 

[ronki23]

Also, those who tell me to read a Qu'ran come from countries where there's no freedom of religion, apostasy from Islam is death, adultery is punishable, and children are forced into marriages. These countries are surely basing their laws on Qu'ran?

 

[socharlie]

I don't understand why both people for and against Islam tell me to read the Qu'ran.

Either I will find verses talking about: Muhammad marrying a 6 year old, Muhammed lying down with dead bodies, killing and pillaging non-Abrahamics, and not considering the Jews as human beings even though they're fellow Abrahamics.

Or I will read: how fighting should only be done in self defence, how women's rights have improved, how slavery was abolished, how you must give to charity, how you must feed others irrespective of religion.

it took many years to compile Qu'ran, many additions . many heads, hands, political winds just like Christian Scripture - it took Constantine to put it together after some 300 years of existence of Christianity.

 

[Notanumber]

Which is the greater taboo, criticising the Bible or the Quran?

 

[Godobeyer]

I don't understand why both people for and against Islam tell me to read the Qu'ran.

Either I will find verses talking about: Muhammad marrying a 6 year old, Muhammed lying down with dead bodies, killing and pillaging non-Abrahamics, and not considering the Jews as human beings even though they're fellow Abrahamics.
.

Muhammad(pbuh) did not married 6 years old. killing non-Abrahamics or not considering the Jews as human beings. that's all fabricated stories or fake hadithes.

Quran never said oppression or make evil to others .

 

[icehorse]

I don't understand why both people for and against Islam tell me to read the Qu'ran.

One problem with any such analysis is that the book is incoherent.

 

[YmirGF]

One problem with any such analysis is that the book is incoherent.

As an disbeleiver, I thought it was pretty coherent on how much Allah hated disbelievers. Pretty darn clear, actually.

 

[David1967]

In Christendom, there are over 33,000!

Really? I knew there were a lot, but 33000? Not disagreeing with you, but that number is staggering.

 

[Twilight Hue]

I have not read the Quran.

But when I see the fruit of more than a billion people who follow it, I could only conclude that it is a book of love.

The hate emanating from a tiny minority of Muslims is obviously a misrepresentation of the scriptures.

imo

I always get confused about the tiny minority aspect.

How just does a tiny minority of radical Muslims acquire by force vast tracts of land, requires large-scale military interventions, and creates problems on a global scale?

 

[sun rise]

Either I will find verses talking about: Muhammad marrying a 6 year old, Muhammed lying down with dead bodies, killing and pillaging non-Abrahamics, and not considering the Jews as human beings even though they're fellow Abrahamics.

Or I will read: how fighting should only be done in self defence, how women's rights have improved, how slavery was abolished, how you must give to charity, how you must feed others irrespective of religion.

Some of the items you listed are not in the Quran.

Which is the greater taboo, criticising the Bible or the Quran?

In Georgia or in Saudi Arabia?

 

[Mindmaster]

As an disbeleiver, I thought it was pretty coherent on how much Allah hated disbelievers. Pretty darn clear, actually.

I never score a religion on the holy book, but what its followers actually DO.

Please find me the Hindu or Buddhist extremists, Sikhs, Shinto, Christians, or whatever engaged in terror. It is pretty irrelevant what the book says, and matters more what the people themselves do. I reject Islam on that basis solely, and similarly on the basis that Islam does nothing to combat the extremists in their ranks, because they are technically following the book, and that is despicable behavior as well. I realize many Muslims do not support such perversion of their beliefs, but they are also the only ones in position to do anything about it. I do hold them responsible for standing by and watching it happen, and basically letting it run amok.

 

[Notanumber]

In Georgia or in Saudi Arabia?

In the West, Saudi Arabia or any other Islamic country is a given.